BARMM solon wants Islamic education institutionalized 

COTABATO CITY ---- A cleric in the Bangsamoro parliament has proposed the creation of a Madrasah education director-general’s office to standardize Islamic learning facilities and curb religious extremism.

Preacher Alzad Sattar, who earned a doctorate degree on Islamic theology abroad, said Saturday his proposal was co-authored by lawyer Maisara Dandamun-Latiph, also a member of the regional parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, or BARMM.

Sattar said the creation of such office will complement the joint Southern Mindanao peace process of Malacañang and the BARMM regional leadership.

Their draft bill recommends a two percent share as annual operation budget of the proposed outfit from BARMM’s P60 billion yearly block grant from the national coffer.

Sattar said among the objectives of the director-general’s office for Madrasah education is to have a well supervised Islamic education system in the Bangsamoro provinces and cities, free from influence of radical, misguided clerics.

There are Islamic schools operating in the south that are not registered with the Department of Education and whose curriculum is virtually unknown to DepEd.

Sattar’s proposal also aims to establish a globally competitive Madrasah education system in the Bangsamoro region.

The now defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, replaced with BARMM last February, had a Madaris Education Bureau managing Islamic education in schools in what is now the Bangsamoro region.

The ARMM’s Madaris Education Bureau has Muslim preachers handling subjects on Islamic values and peace education based on the doctrines on respect for religions and universal love.

Sattar said only 135 of the 1,914 Madaris institutions in the region are recognized by the Madaris Education Bureau of ARMM’s education department, now known as BARMM’s education ministry.